Teriyaki Tuna

Jason loves Tuna. I, on the other hand, have hated fish most of my life. After learning the nutritional benefits, I was on a mission to begin to like some fish. Currently, I do not mind Salmon and Tuna Steaks. I am still working on White Fish!

As many of you probably know, fish is loaded with long chain omega 3 Fatty Acids (EPA and DHA). The long chain ones have most of the beneficial properties we hear about when we hear about omega 3 fats. The only way to get these long chain fatty acids is from fish (or fish supplements, such as fish oil) or human breast milk, which leaves us with fish.

Flaxseed does contain omega 3 fatty acids, but the version is much shorter (think about it like the food chain. The fish eat the plant and the fish's body takes the short chain fatty acid and makes it bigger). The shorter version, while still healthy and beneficial, does not come near to containing the benefits that fish contain. You may be thinking, "while, if fish can make a longer chain, why can't we?" This is a longer, more complicated story. I will try to summarize...our bodies have enzymes that make fatty acid chains longer. However, all fats use the same enzymes, so whatever fat is most predominant in our bodies will get to use more of the enzymes. Sadly, omega 3 fatty acids are the least consumed fat in all of our diets, so it is very difficult for our bodies to find the resources to elongate all of the short chain omega 3 we consume to long chain omega 3. The simple solution...eat more fish!!

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Teriyaki Tuna with Vegetable Rice (adapted from a recipe at: www.bhg.com)

Ingredients
1 pound fresh or frozen tuna or salmon steaks, bones and skin removed
Bottled teriyaki sauce (or other Asian Marinade/Sauce)
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 cups water
1 cup uncooked brown rice
½ cup carrot, chopped
½ large green pepper, diced
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp Mrs. Dash Table Blend

Tuna Directions

1. Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels. Place fish in a shallow dish and coat with teriyaki sauce; add just enough so some drips down the sides and coats the salmon. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2. Start the grill.
3. Once ready, grill Tuna steaks to 145F, flipping once. Serve with rice.
   
   

Rice Directions

In a 2-quart saucepan combine water, rice, carrot, onion and pepper. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Stir in seasonings. Cook, covered for 5 - 10 minutes more or until rice is tender.

Remove from heat. Let stand covered for 5 minutes. Stir in teriyaki mixture, if desired.

Enjoy!

p.s. I did eat the entire meal with chopsticks (which I got from my sweet friend Whitney). It was a long process, but I did it. Talk about a natural way to control how fast you eat!